The Soccer Ball
by Kara Kasai
Summary: *TAIORA* Linked by a pinky-promise and a soccer ball, that's it. Neither of them remember much, until she is moving back to Odaiba. She's changed a lot in the nine years away. However, it isn't love at first sight for them, exactly opposite!
1. Prologue - Moving Away

_Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon._

This was an idea floating around for a while. I finally captured the meaning of it, and put it down on paper. Please review!

_­­­_The Soccer Ball: Prologue-Moving Away

Takenouchi Sora sighed restlessly. The five-year-old was moving away from her beloved home in Odaiba. Of course, her family moved many times. This time, however, she had outside friends. She was going to miss them terribly.

          It was the day for saying good-bye. She would especially miss one boy… her best friend… Yagami Taichi…

          "Sora-chan! Let's hurry to the Yagamis! We must leave soon!" Mrs. Takenouchi told her daughter.

          Sora obediently hurried into the family car. She was glad she was going to see Tai, but there was another feeling… unexplainable.

          Sora was a tomboy. She had shoulder-length russet-coloured hair and fiery hazel-coloured eyes. She always wore jeans—no skirts or dresses.

          The Takenouchis arrived at the Yagami apartment.

          Sora leaped out of the car. "Tai!" she yelled.

          "Sora…" he murmured. Tai took Sora's hand. "C'mon, I need to give you something."

          He had big dark chestnut-brown hair and milk-chocolate-coloured eyes.

          Sora was taken by surprise. "Okay, sure…"

          They entered Tai's messy room. "Here," he said handing Sora a package. "Open the card."

          Sora opened the card. She couldn't read it, though. It didn't make sense. It was in some sort of… code.

          "What?" she finally asked, giving up to Taichi's game.

          "Mirror," Tai replied using little words, dragging Sora to the mirror. He took the card and opened it. 

          Sora stared into the mirror. "I will miss you, Sora. Please don't forget me," she read. 

          "Yeah, and when you're fourteen, you'll come back here… and… and… we'll marry someday," Taichi said. "Promise?"

          Sora smiled. "Yeah, promise. When I'm fourteen," she echoed. She held out her pinky for a pinky promise… a promise surely kept.

          "Sora-chan! Time to go!" Mrs. Takenouchi yelled.

          "Bye, Taichi. Bye-bye, Hikari," she said to the two-year-old. "Tai… Remind Hikari of me. I'll miss you." Sora hugged her best friend meaningfully. His words were in her thoughts…

          "Wait!" Tai yelled, as the car slowly rolled out of the driveway. 

          The car paused.

          "Sora! Here, you forgot this! Don't forget!!!!" he said handing the lumpy package to Sora.

          Sora smiled. "I won't. I promise!" 

          Sora sighed as Taichi became only a speck. She slowly brought her eyes to the package. She opened it, full of curiosity. It was a soccer ball...

          _Typical Tai, _she thought. _We both love soccer—I wonder...if I'll ever be able to come back here..._

So, was it a good prologue??? I hope it was. Please review, by clicking the rectangular button at the bottom-left corner. 

~Kara


	2. Chapter One - Almost Fourteen

Disclaimer: Toei and some other company, I think, own Digimon because I certainly don't. Do you?

_Well, please, please, please review! Please??? Thanks, y'all!_

To EverShadow:

*cough, cough*Wooops! I meant to make Tai say " . . .and we'll marry someday." But anyways, I'm wondering what floats my boat. ^.^ *runs around all-hyped and cries "Takari-stories!!!!!"* ^.~ There's your answer!

If anybody was wondering where this idea came from, well. . .*cough, cough* it happened to me. *blushes* my male best friend and I promised with a pinky-promise—but this happened when I was six or seven. I wonder if I'll get to go back this year—maybe . . .? Should I?

Sorry it took so long to get this up: laptop crashed. O.o

"..."=dialogue

_italics_=thoughts

**Bold**=place

*=elapsed time/scene change

(1)=notes            

The Soccer Ball: Chapter One – Almost Fourteen

**_Nine Years Later_**

Kanmuri, Japan 

Thirteen-year-old Takenouchi Sora sat in the classroom. She was restless. Something kept stabbing her memory whenever she thought of turning fourteen . . .and the person she had a secret crush on.

            Takenouchi had shoulder-length russet-coloured hair and hazel eyes. She was a very sweet and caring person. She wasn't much of a tomboy—she had lost her confidence of that in her past years . . .She was more of a bookworm and a smart person, but she still loved soccer and anew favourite, tennis. 

            "Hi, Sora!" Junko greeted her friend. 

            "Hello," Sora replied evenly. 

            She was quite popular, too . . .for various reasons. One, she was a quite agreeable and nice person. She didn't have any enemies. Two, she was smart and known for her soccer abilities. And more . . .

            Sora watched the door carefully, waiting for Kaji to enter. She had a quite certain crush on him, but many girls did. He was a handsome stud, nice, polite, smart, kind . . . 

            Kaji and his friends entered, talking and smiling. He paused by Sora's desk and gave her a grin. 

            Sora smiled back. "Morning, Kaji," she greeted him.

            "Morning," Kaji agreed, trying to act normal to the girl. He had recently discovered that he liked Sora. From the way they had gazed into each other's eyes the first time they had met, in a group project for socials to the time he had told her to crash the talent show, since Sora had not gotten tickets.

            Sora's heart gave a giant leap. She had a crush on Kaji, but something else bothered her whenever she thought about it. She couldn't recollect what it was, though.

*

Sora got home that evening quite early.

            "Sora… we're going to be moving, again," Mrs. Takenouchi said.

            Sora's heart shattered. She liked it so much as it was, and didn't want to move again. "Where???" she demanded angrily. 

            "Odaiba." Mrs. Takenouchi paused before adding: "Maybe you remember. We lived there before . . ."

            Sora sighed, going up to her room. "Odaiba." The word sounded strange, yet familiar on her tongue. Sora closed her eyes, searching for an answer. She had a feeling that she remembered something about Odaiba, that something was awaiting her there . . .

            She opened her eyes and searched her closet for her beloved soccer ball she had had for the longest time. "Tai . . ." she whispered, remembering a random name. Surprised, "Where did the name come from?" she asked.

            A mental image came to mind… of a young boy with big and wispy brown hair and chocolate coloured eyes playing soccer . . . with a girl—Sora!

            Sora gasped. She could remember. "I promised I'd come back at fourteen," she whispered, feeling herself blush. "Marriage?"

*

Odaiba, Japan 

Yagami Hikari sighed. She had heard the story so many times that she was sick of it, although the memory was always calming. The eleven-year-old casually ran a finger through her dark brown hair, as short as it was. She was trying to listen to the story, but she couldn't. It was always the same one . . .

            With a sigh, Hikari took a deep breath. "Onii-chan!" she cried. "I've heard the story so many times, and I know exactly how it goes!"

            Yagami Taichi raised an eyebrow. "Fine—I give up altogether!" he cried in exasperation. "I mean . . .I hardly remember her! I only remember Sora because I promised that I would remind you of her."

            "And you've done a good job of it," Hikari added in reassurance. "I'm sure Sora would be proud of you! From the story you've always told me, I can scrounge the fact that she would be proud that you tried-out for the all-star soccer team for Odaiba Secondary—and made it as forward—striker!" (1)

            Sighing, Taichi gave up on his younger sister. He could barely bring up the image of his best friend. "Okay, okay, okay! Make sure to keep out of trouble, Hikari," he said. "I've got to go to soccer practice."

            The fourteen-year-old pushed his way out of the apartment, grabbing a soccer ball on the way out. He was dressed in his soccer uniform, his chestnut-brown hair sticking up and out like it had always been. 

            "Don't worry about me, Tai! Takeru-kun's coming over!" Hikari yelled after her brother. "I'll be fine!" (2)

            Taichi couldn't resist the pun, adding a grin. "What? Are you two dating?—at fifth grade?" he asked, keeping a quite straight face. (3)

            Hikari paused. _This pun is getting old . . . I'll say yes,_ she decided. "Yes," she answered simply. (4)

            Taichi choked. "WHAT?" he yelled. "Y-your dating Takaishi Takeru?"

            Hikari grinned widely. "Got you! HAHAHAHA!" she laughed. Always, she had said that Takeru and she were not dating, and Taichi would always reply, saying, "Yeah, right!" and then they would share a laugh.

            Taichi growled—which didn't work very well for him and his unusually high-pitched voice. He shrugged. "Eh, whatever!" he said. "Be good—and tell Takeru if he even touches you," he began. (5)

            "If I touch—huh?" a young and bright voice interrupted, standing at the door. "Konnichiwa Hikari-kun, Taichi-kun," he greeted cheerily; oblivious from the glaring threat he was receiving from Taichi. (6)

            "Oh, since you're here," Taichi said, "I'll tell you instead. If you even dare touch Hikari, Yamato will have a dead blond . . .eh, with the most ridiculous floppy hat . . .as a brother."

            "If I dare touch Hikari?" Takeru asked, raising an eyebrow. He walked over to Hikari, and set his books down where she sat. "Now why would I touch her? I'm not some . . ." he trailed off. He paused for a moment, looking for the right words. He glanced at Taichi as an idea dawned on him. "I'm not some jock who can sing a scarily high-pitched soprano song," he said, unable to resist the pun towards Taichi. He grinned slyly.

            Hikari smiled. Her best friend had hit the sharp spot. "Takeru's right," Hikari agreed sweetly.

            A vessel popped in Taichi's forehead. He glared sharply towards Takeru. "Why I ought to—" he began.

            "Aren't you late for your soccer practice?" Takeru asked, smiling innocently. 

            Taichi glanced up at the clock. "Egah!!!!!! When I get back, Takeru!" he yelled, and raced off.

            Hikari smiled. "We got him that time!" she said. She put a hand out for a high-five.

            Takeru replied with a smile. "Now, why did he say, 'If Takeru touches you' again . . .?" he asked, in confusion.

            Hikari sighed, and took her hand back. "I was getting bored of the pun!" she exclaimed. "So . . .I said yes instead of my normal, 'we're just friends!'" she explained. "Yet, he still comes with a comeback! But you should have seen his reaction!"

            Takeru chuckled. "I can imagine it clearly! Well, we better hurry with our homework!"

            Hikari nodded in agreement. "Yeah."

Well . . .was that a good first chapter? I can't believe I'm writing a Taiora—my first Taiora! There's nothing wrong with Taiora, but . . .I've only written Takaris—well, mostly. Uh, sorry for the short chapter, but that's the best I could do. My laptop crashed, deleted all my files, and now that I'm up and going again, I'm rushing because it's been quite a while since I've been around. Sure, I posted some poems, but that's about it.

Also, "Kanmuri, Japan" is where Sora lives before moving back to Odaiba, ok?

Please review—and stick around for the next chapter!

~Kara

PS: Anybody know what "AU" stands for when they say it in summaries? I still haven't figured that one out—then again, I recently figured out that "OOC" means out of character. -_-' I also recently figured what SPAM was. ^.^'

"Live the world today 'cause today is an eternity and tomorrow is light-years away"

--that's a wonderful motto!

Little Notes: 

(1) – If you aren't a soccer fan, "forward" wouldn't mean the same thing . . .so, "forward" is a player who is part of the forward line of the offence. And striker is what a forward in soccer is called. Also, I've figured that it would be Odaiba Secondary because I don't think it would be Middle School or Jr. High or High school. I think Odaiba Secondary is from seventh grade and up, but I'm not sure. Correct me, please. They said that Jyou was studying for exams to pass for private school . . . Taichi is in eighth grade, by the way! 

(2) – How did Hikari and Takeru meet? Well . . .uh . . .Takeru and Hikari are great friends in the beginning because their brothers meet through school—Taichi and Yamato are best friends—and . . .Takeru moves away and then moves back in fifth grade. Yeah . . .something like so.

(3) – In Japan—and some other Asian countries—you are considered to be "one-year-old" when you are born...which is unlike Canada, Norway, and many other countries—I think. Thus, Hikari is in fifth grade at eleven if you were wondering . . .

(4) – Wondering about this little pun? Well. . .if you really want to know, I support Takari all the way! Maybe I'll have a few hints of Takari? Well, it's your pick, so tell me your opinion. If you don't want, I won't. ^.^ I'm a quite agreeable girl on things like this. 

(5) – Ever listen to "Atarashii Taiyou", Taichi's 02 theme song, or anything with Taichi's voice in it . . .you'll know what I mean. He has the highest voice for an eighth grader jock. Really! I bet you that if he wanted, he could sing soprano. I would love to believe that he hasn't had his voice change yet, but...that's really hard to believe because Yamato has already. It's amazing how those two voices differ so much. Maybe high voices run in that generation of Yagamis? Considering the facts that his voice actor/seiyuu in Japan is female, no wonder his high voice! O.o What really makes me cringe is that his voice is . . .uh . . .well, when he's singing, he's almost as high as Mimi! – Maeda Ai, wow that's . . . O.o I bet that he could probably out sing Hikari! ^.~

(6) – Konnichiwa means "good afternoon". 


End file.
